Suspected Repressed Childhood Sexual Abuse
Gender Effects on Diagnosis and Treatment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12004516 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carolyn Sullins (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, corresponding author), Carolyn D Sullins (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) |
| Year | 1998 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 403-418 |
| Publication date | 1998-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology of Women Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0361-6843 • E-ISSN: 1471-6402 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1471-6402.1998.tb00165.x |
| OpenAlex | W1584987886 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
This article explores therapists' responses to clients' suspicions that they have repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Each participant was randomly assigned one of two vignettes, varied for gender, each concerning a client who suspects that he/she is a victim of CSA. Following the vignette, a series of questions regarding the client assesses the participants' ratings of diagnoses, treatment goals, treatment plans, appropriate responses, and validity of suspicions. Participants were significantly more likely to endorse a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and endorse treatments focusing on present symptoms over treatments focusing on the client's past. Participants were unlikely to endorse controversial treatments, suggestive statements, or strong opinions regarding the client's suspicions of CSA. The client's gender had a significant effect on diagnoses only. These results do not support reports that many therapists neglect clients' current symptoms and instead focus on memories, use controversial techniques, make suggestive statements regarding abuse, or immediately assume that their clients have repressed memories
Borderline personality disorder · Child abuse · Cognition · Medical diagnosis · Medical emergency · Neglect · Personality · Poison control · Psychiatric diagnosis · Psychiatry · Sexual abuse · Suicide prevention · Vignette · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child Abuse and Trauma · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Social Psychology
Criminal consequences of childhood sexual victimization
The Forgotten Difference
Therapist Responses to Recovered and Never-forgotten Memories of Child Sex Abuse
Gender differences in moral reasoning
Sex bias, diagnosis, and DSM-III
The Debate about Delayed Memories of Child Sexual Abuse
The reality of repressed memories
Gender, Race, and DSM-III
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |